Wal-Mart to carry opioid disposal kits

The addiction crisis now has the largest discount retailer in the world stepping in to help.

Posted: Jan. 17, 2018 6:29 PM

Updated: Jan. 17, 2018 6:31 PM

Posted By: Jenna Liston

INDIANA (WLFI) — The addiction crisis now has the largest discount retailer in the world stepping in to help.

The Indiana State Department of Health says Hoosiers are more likely to now die of a drug overdose than in a car accident.

Wal-Mart is now the first national pharmacy to offer free opioid disposal kits. The kits will allow patients a way to safely dissolve unused opioid prescription pills into a biodegradable gel.

The packets can be used at home and they will be offered to new and existing patients.Local community members believe this is beneficial to prevent overdoses.

Joshua Perry, a local community member, believes this step will help save more lives.

"Being able to save their life in a moment's notice when they need to is something that is good and I'm glad that Walmart is taking the opportunity to provide those services." Perry said.

Dr. John Gorup, a local spinal surgeon at Indiana Spine Center, says this step will lower the number of patients in the emergency rooms.

"My colleagues who work in the emergency room, they're inundated with patients that have narcotic related issues. Something like this will really help that and hopefully triage the ER so that they aren't spending all this time with these kind of patients." Gorup said.

Wal-Mart also plans to sell the overdose-blocker, Narcan, later this month in their pharmacy department.